Elon & Twitter

[SDRick]

I believe much friction could be avoided in social discourse if the words bias or preference were substituted for the word racism or racist. The knee-jerk calling out racist or racism is tiring and counterproductive.

We all have biases and preferences, every single one of us. The cars we drive, the movies we watch, the books we read, the food we eat. Even, God forbid, the people we like to hang out with. The overwhelming majority are not racist in that they would like to take life or liberty or opportunity from someone based solely on race.

 

[golfcart]

No idea how well known the slogan is. I was familiar with it. I would have simply stopped answering the poll if asked that. Don’t feed the trolls.

I’d never heard of it. Seems like a reasonable statement to just one that goes without saying.

 

[SouthFLGuy]

Life can be complicated. But you know what isn't complicated? Don't tell other white people to stay away from black people. And if you're Space Karen, then don't support people like this (although I suspect he wholeheartedly does).

 

[Norbert]

If the poll was to judge the slogan under a specific context then the context should have been provided with the question. Regardless of how the phrase allegedly started, there is no reason to think that the average person would perceive it that way. And ones reaction to the result of the poll is entirely based on how the question is perceived. It’s racial trolling nothing more.

I think the slogan has those connotations even if you don't think about them and don't know about them, that it is suggestive regardless of any political bias or specfic education, including to the average person having an average knowledge of racism. It's just its inner logic, so to speak.

 

[SO16]

Life can be complicated. But you know what isn't complicated? Don't tell other white people to stay away from black people. And if you're Space Karen, then don't support people like this (although I suspect he wholeheartedly does).

Not “wholeheartedly”.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630300101594734593

 

[Southpasfan]

No idea how well known the slogan is. I was familiar with it. I would have simply stopped answering the poll if asked that. Don’t feed the trolls.

If by average person one means "person who is taking about one second, if that much, to click off boxes on a survey they could care less about" maybe this "average person" might .....

Oh what the f... as posted it makes absolutely zero sense. The first four words are odd, but "its' O.K. to be .........."

The fifth word, whether average or not average or whatever, you expect the fifth word to be something that is generally thought of as "not OK" -- a disparaging term.

"White" is not a disparaging term, even to the hardest of the hard core black activists. A hard core black activist might not think very well of white people, might even hate them, but it would be pointless to ask them whether or not its "O.K." to be "white." "Whiteness" isn't something its o.k. to be or not, hard core black activists could care less about whether white people are OK being white.

It makes no sense, frankly, to say "its OK to be Chinese," Its OK to be French" to you agree? Its especially ridiculous to ask that to a person who is not a member of the group whether its "OK" to be a member of another group.

That's why its obviously trolling. It requires some bizzarre in-with-the-in-club background to even understand the question.

 

[JRP3]

The overwhelming majority are not racist in that they would like to take life or liberty or opportunity from someone based solely on race.

That's not the definition of racism.

 

[JRP3]

Not “wholeheartedly”.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630300101594734593

I guess as long as you make someone laugh it's OK to be racist.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Not “wholeheartedly”.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630300101594734593

Is he claiming Adam’s rant was comedy? I haven’t seen Adam’s claim that.
Saying that whites and blacks should stay away from each other would have gotten you fired 40 years ago in this country.

 

[SO16]

I'm now 45 minutes into that video and neither of the two seem have reflected on what I thought of in the first place, which is that a statement like "It's OK to be white" is something that sounds like it is said by racist. In case you don't understand why I would think that, take a look at this wikipedia page:

It's okay to be white - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

which includes this sentence: "The slogan has been supported by white supremacists including neo-Nazis.[4]"

Why? It's sounds like a lame response to systemic racism and the implied political responsibilities.

In a similar way as the statement "all lives matter" sounds like a rejection not only of that political movement called "black lives matter", but also like a flat preemptive rejection of the perception that black lives might be in a specific danger.

So I think that needs to be taken into account when interpreting the poll as worded, and as long as that doesn't happen, I think any discussion of the results of that poll is pointless. So I wonder what is happening there, or do I maybe have to spend more than 45 minutes to find out?

I think at about half way through, they talk about some of white nationalist concerns but I don’t recall them talking about your specific point..

 

[golfcart]

That's not the definition of racism.

Only since about 2015 in certain circles. To most everyone else that is the definition of being racist. Progressive activists need better terminology.

 

[SouthFLGuy]

Not “wholeheartedly”.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630300101594734593

Ok then he's just a "little" racist.

 

[golfcart]

I think the slogan has those connotations even if you don't think about them and don't know about them, that it is suggestive regardless of any political bias or specfic education, including to the average person having an average knowledge of racism. It's just its inner logic, so to speak.

We can agree to disagree.

 

[golfcart]

Does anyone have the time stamp where he makes the actual comments? I don’t have 1.5 hours but I’m curious what was said and under what context.

 

[SO16]

Does anyone have the time stamp where he makes the actual comments? I don’t have 1.5 hours but I’m curious what was said and under what context.

Which statements?

If you are talking about his “initial statements”, different video. The video I posted was made a day or two after that.

 

[Norbert]

It makes no sense, frankly, to say "its OK to be Chinese," Its OK to be French" to you agree? Its especially ridiculous to ask that to a person who is not a member of the group whether its "OK" to be a member of another group.

That's why its obviously trolling. It requires some bizzarre in-with-the-in-club background to even understand the question.

I don't think it is really difficult to understand the question, but maybe I misunderstand your point.

It's not only ridiculous, but also obviously so. And obviously a question about racism, one that would be ridiculous in a literal sense. So if you have heard the name "Proud Boys" you can easily guess what's behind such a phrase. Or if you have heard the phrase "all lives matter" as rejection of "black lives matter". Or if you heard anyone object to wokeism, and who hasn't?

It quite clearly expresses an attitude that one can easily disagree with.

Besides, it seems like Scott Adams intentionally made himself a victim of "woke" believing that can prove it wrong, tooting in the same horn as the originators of the slogan, perhaps actually being their victim. Too bad since I kind of liked some of the Dilbert cartoons.

 

[SO16]

I guess as long as you make someone laugh it's OK to be racist.

it’s not “OK to be racist” in life.

But I’ll admit I do find this funny:

 

[golfcart]

I don't think it is really difficult to understand the question, but maybe I misunderstand your point.

It's not only ridiculous, but also obviously so. And obviously a question about racism, one that would be ridiculous in a literal sense. So if you have heard the name "Proud Boys" you can easily guess what's behind such a phrase. Or if you have heard the phrase "all lives matter" as rejection of "black lives matter". Or if you heard anyone object to wokeism, and who hasn't?

It quite clearly expresses an attitude that one can easily disagree with.

Besides, it seems like Scott Adams intentionally made himself a victim of "woke" believing that can prove it wrong, tooting in the same horn as the originators of the slogan, perhaps actually being their victim. Too bad since I kind of liked some of the Dilbert cartoons.

Here’s the original video of his podcast at the point where he discusses the poll. There’s no indication he sees the phrase as you describe and every indication that he sees the poor polling of the phrase as anti white bias in the black community.

Y’all can judge for yourselves.

 

[Southpasfan]

Only since about 2015 in certain circles. To most everyone else that is the definition of being racist. Progressive activists need better terminology.

And therein lies the con. 2015? How about since 1953? Ok, maybe passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 then.

I was tempted to go with 1866, but the point is that for public policy purposes its not a question of what the vast majority of people think themselves.

The vast majority not only do not think bank robbery is OK, and the vast majority will go through life never personally committing a bank robbery.

That does not mean we don't need laws making bank robbery illegal.

Back in the day, George Wallace said outright that he believed that the races should be kept separate. The George Wallaces of today are more subtle, and set fort a better rhetorical argument, which is, "the vast majority of [you] don't believe [fill in racist effect], but the liberals believe you are racists!"

Its such a better argument. Nobody likes being called a racist. You can find plenty of people who, themselves, have never had the opportunity or acted in a racist way themselves.

The little detail that actual liberals aren't running around calling people racists is easily sidestepped when you have an entire conservative ecosystem dedicated to telling their conservative audience what liberals actually think and do. Who are you gonna believe? Us or some actual liberals you don't even know?

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I don’t think anyone thinks it’s “OK to be racist” in life.

But I’ll admit I do find this funny:

When ALL participants are in on it, and the entire point is to bring it to the surface, sure.

However, I think many, many, many people do think it's okay to be racist in real life. Though I believe they don't see it as racist, just reality...because they live in a pathetic reality they've created for themselves.